1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fixing device, and more particularly to a fixing device for a sliding mechanism consisting of slidably connected exterior, intermediate and interior plates, wherein once the interior plate is pulled outward from the intermediate plate, the interior plate is retained stably outside of the intermediate plate or the interior plate is easily removed from the intermediate plate if desired, thereby facilitating the user.
2. The Prior Arts
In a personal computer (PC), a server is mounted slidably to a computer casing via two slide plates, which cooperatively define a slide channel therebetween. In case of repairing, the server can be pulled outward from the casing and after the repairing the server is pushed slidably back into the casing. A conventional sliding mechanism used in a PC generally includes an exterior plate, an interior plate and sometimes an intermediate plate between the exterior and interior plates in order to increase a total traveling length of the sliding mechanism. The exterior plates are fixed securely to two opposite sides of the computer casing while the interior plates are used for carrying the server thereon.
For a conventional sliding mechanism consisting of an exterior plate, an intermediate plate and an interior plate connected slidably relative to one another, a fixing device is provided between the intermediate plate and the exterior plate in order to provide stability to the server, which is disposed outwardly of the computer casing after successively pulling the interior plate from the intermediate plate, the intermediate plate from the exterior plate, such that the intermediate plate is exposed and thus retained at the stable condition with respect to the exterior plate. The conventional fixing device generally includes two connection rods or a spring plate and hook-and-looped fasteners and etc such that great manufacturing cost is resulted owing to too many pieces. It is noted that in case of a great impact applied on the conventional sliding mechanism at this time, ruin of the sliding mechanism will be resulted since the plates cannot withstand the great impact.
Taiwanese Patent Publication No. M350226 discloses a sliding mechanism consisting of an exterior plate, an intermediate plate slidably mounted to the exterior plate, an interior plate slidably mounted to the intermediate plate, and a locking structure. The locking structure includes a stepped channel formed through the exterior plate and a slide block formed on the intermediate plate for slidably engaging the stepped channel and an elongated pull rod mounted on the interior plate. The elongated pull rod is formed with an inclined side when the elongated pull rod is pulled in a first direction away from the exterior plate, the inclined side pushes the slide block to move in a second direction perpendicular to the first direct, thereby disengaging the intermediate plate from the exterior plate.
One drawback of the above sliding mechanisms resides in that once the interior plate is pulled outward from the intermediate plate and in case of an external impact, the hook-and-looped fasteners or the locking structure are subjected to damage easily, which, in turn, leads to ruin of the sliding mechanism.